Keep the fire burning!
Thesis: The fire of God must be kept burning in our lives because that is what helps us to sustain our soul and spiritual life. His fire enables us to live a life of blessings.
Testimonies: Beth and Tom about how the Convention ignited a fire in their hearts.
Scripture Texts:
Leviticus 6:8-13:
8The LORD said to Moses: 9“Give Aaron and his sons this command: “These are the regulations for the burnt offering: The burnt offering is to remain on the altar hearth throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar. 10The priest shall then put on his linen clothes, with linen undergarments next to his body, and shall remove the ashes of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed on the altar and place them beside the altar. 11Then he is to take off these clothes and put on others, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a place that is ceremonially clean. 12The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it. 13The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.
I Thess. 5:19: “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire!”
Illustration from Survivor – I have noticed in watching the show how the host emphasizes over and over the importance of being able to build a fire and keep it burning. His emphasis was on the importance of fire to sustain life in the wild. Fire is essential for survival!
Introduction:
Life is sustained in the wild and in this world by fire - His fire also sustains spiritual life in this world. It is an important life sustaining element for life both physically and spiritually. Fire keeps us warm, allows us to cook food, to boil water to purify it, it provides heat and light in the darkness. It can also be your distress signal in the wild. Fire is the most valuable resource for survival in this world in which we live. We need to make sure we know how to build a fire and how to keep the fire burning. The key to survival in this world is fire and the ability to keep it burning spiritually as well as physically.
Fire is spoken about in the Bible 549 times and it used as a symbol of life spiritually, it burns up sin, and it purifies our soul and it we use it to give God offerings, the fire on the altar of our heart sustains our spiritual life.
God uses the metaphor of fire often to express the purpose of His fire.
Jim Cymbala in His book "Storm" shares how he sees the fire of God going out in the life of the church in America.
He states:
WARNING NO. 1 – WE’RE NOT AS BIG AS WE THINK: A quick Google search will reveal some surprising statistics about Christians in America. For example, one website says that 246,780,000 people (79.5 percent of the population) in the United States are Christians. That’s a huge percentage of Americans who claim to be followers of Christ! But is it true or a bogus number? If nearly 80 percent of the population were Christian, wouldn’t we see the effects of that in culture? Let me ask the question in a different way. Are eight out of ten people in your school, office, or community Bible-believing, churchgoing followers of Jesus?
He also states, "To get an accurate count of Bible-believing Christians in America, Dickerson looked at four studies by four different researchers who had four different motivations and used four different methodologies to calculate the number. Their unanimous conclusion was that “the actual number of evangelical Christians is shockingly between 7 to 8.9 percent of the United States population, not 40 percent and certainly not 70 percent.” That’s right, only 7 to 8.9 percent of America. The truth is that the number of real believers in Jesus is in a massive decline, and that decline is happening much more rapidly than we have thought.
This brings up a concern that I have that suggests we have people claiming to be Christians but there is no fire of God burning in their hearts to guide them and direct them. They are Christians in title but there is no personal connection to the Lord. They are not experiencing the presence and the reality of Jesus.
The problem is these Christians need to know how to build God’s fire in their hearts. Their faith and fire from the Holy Spirit needs to effect their hearts and their Spirit, Soul and Body and this only happens when our faith is rooted in a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. So we need to know how to ignite this fire, tend His fire and sustain a fire from God in our lives.
T.S. - There are four steps to a Fire 101 class that we need to understand, expereince and know.
1. The first step in Fire 101 is you have to know how to get a fire started (Leviticus 6:8-13; 9:24).
a. Which means you must know how to prepare the area where the fire will be ignited.
i. They tell us that before the match is struck you need to gather the firewood necessary for fueling the fire. You will need different types of resources on hand to properly build and fuel the fire.
1. They say a good fire builder will always gather 3x the amount of wood they think they will need because they will use it all.
ii. The prep area needs to be cleaned of debris.
b. In Leviticus the Lord gives detailed instruction on how to prepare for the fire on the altar.
i. They were to prepare the area for the fire. They needed to make sure everything was ready for the fire.
1. Leviticus 1-9 gives all the details needed for preparation.
a. They were to build a fire pit - the altar for the sacrifices. They were to build it to God’s specifications not what they thought.
b. The area around the altar was to be kept clean and free of contaminates.
c. The priests where informed how to serve and sacrifice to the Lord prior to the fire. They received their instructions and learned the proper procedure.
d. There needed to be the gathering of the fuel for feeding the fire.
i. The rabbis tell us that the Israelites made sure they choose the right kind of fuel for the altar fire.
ii. They gathered only certain types of wood for the fire. It had to be wood which was not rotten but a fuel source that burned very hot and intense for a long period of time so as to consume the offerings.
iii. The fire wood was placed on the altar in preparation for the fire igniter. And the sacrifice was as specified by God placed on the altar.
c. They however did not have matches and the priest would not be the fire starter.
i. Leviticus 9:24 tells us how the “…fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the Burnt offering."
ii. This fire now started would be used daily to offer sacrifices up to the Lord. This fire now ignited symbolize the continual worship of God by the ceremonial sacrifices and as a result of these sacrifices they had communion and connection with God.
1. For the fire of God to be ignited in our hearts we need to prepare the area of our heart and soul for the fire. We do this by first dealing with our soul's connection with God - repenting of our sins and cleaning the area for the fire. The next thing we do is to place our faith in the Lord Jesus trusting that He will send fire out from His presence to ignite the flame of life in our heart.
2. Our body soul and spirit are cleansed by the fire and we are ignited or set un-fire for God. Once the fire of God is burning in our hearts then comes the process of feeding the fire and cleaning out the burnt up debris of sin. This is our responsibility.
T.S. - We need to make sure we know how to prepare the area that will receive His fire. This area lies in our heart - soul - spirit. Then once we have prepared our hearts and the fire is ignited we need to feed the fire.
2. Once the fire is started by the Holy Spirit it is imperative that we properly feed the burning fire (Leviticus 6:9, 12; I Thess. 5:12-24).
a. In the wild when you have your fire burning you have to feed it proper fuel for it to continue to burn hot and intense. If you use wet wood or damp wood or the wrong kind of wood it can put your fire out.
i. The Israelites carefully choose their firewood so that the fire would burn hot and intensely. It needed to be hot to consume the daily sacrifices.
ii. They needed properly seasoned wood to maintain the hot temperature.
iii. Remember it had to consume the sacrifice on the altar daily and throughout the day. So this necessitated a very hot intense fire.
b. The fire of the Lord needs to be kept hot and burning in our lives by us feeding the fire of God in our hearts proper fuel. In I Thess. 5:19 it states, “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.”
i. Question: How does a fire get quenched?
1. Answer: Don’t give it proper fuel.
2. The proper fuel for keeping the fire hot and burning is fuel which is not rotten. A fuel source which is not contaminated.
ii. I Thess. 5:12-24 lists the things that will put out the Spirit’s fire so we need to make sure we dont use these things as fuel for God's fire on our heart:
1. 12Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; 20do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22Avoid every kind of evil. 23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
iii. Our Scripture text list several things that will quench the fire.
1. Respect one another is proper fuel for God's fire in our heart and disrespect is rotted fuel (12,13a) Respect for other servants of the Lord is proper fuel but disrespect of others kills the fire of God in our hearts.
2. Living at peace with one another is proper fuel for the fire while living in disharmony or dissension is rotted fuel (13b).
3. Idleness is another way to put out the fire. The truth is doing nothing-not placing the proper fuel on the fire will put the fire out (14a). Doing nothing – neglecting the fire will permit it to go out.
4. Patience with others is proper fuel for the fire. Impatience is improper fuel for the fire. It will put the fire out in your heart if you do not have patience with one another (14b). Patience adds fuel on the fire!
5. Kindness to one another with forgiveness is proper fuel for the fire whereas un-forgiveness and revenge and unkindness will quench the fire of God in or lives (15).
6. Being joyful is good fuel for the fire. Whereas crabby, grumpy, angry spirits will quench the fire of God (16).
7. Prayer feeds the fire of God, prayerlessness quenches the fire of the Holy Spirit (17).
8. Giving thanks to God is proper fire wood whereas not giving thanks, having an entitlement mindset is not proper firewood (18). Not giving thanks is like throwing wet wood on the fire. It puts it out hinders the fire on your heart.
9. Treating the prophetic gift of God with disrespect will put out the Spirit’s fire (20).This refers to disregarding God’s means of using ministers to preach His word. When people disregard the Word of God and blow off God’s truth for their own truth they put out the spirit’s fire.
10. Hold on to that which is good is also proper fuel for the fire whereas holding onto evil will quench the spirit’s fire (21, 22). We are to avoid evil so it does not put out the fire of God. Evil and sin will always quench the spirit’s fire.
a. Side note: The fire on the altar in Leviticus 9:24 burned for 860 years it burned from 1,446 BC to 586 BC. It went out when Babylon over ran the Temple in Jerusalem. The Lord tells us that Israel was overrun by Babylon because they had embraced evil they had worshipped other gods and idols and became detestable in His eyes.
i. Remember - God will never bless sin- never!
ii. They had departed from God’s way and followed the path of evil through idol worship. Result is they embraced evil and put out the fire!
T.S. – We need to make sure that we tend the fire in our hearts and feed it the right fuel so it will burn hot for Him. But we must also remember to keep the fire cleaned. It’s imperative that the ashes left over from the fire be removed daily.
3. The next step in Fire 101 is you need to keep the fire cleaned out (Lev. 6:11)
a. In fire maintenance 101 we are told by the experts to make sure we regularly clean out the ashes left over from the fire so that it will stay burning. If these ashes are not removed daily then the fire will choke out.
i. The fire experts tell us to have an ash bucket and shovel so we can remove the ashes when they pile up so it won’t choke out the fire.
ii. These ashes will eventually choke a fire out by not allowing oxygen to get to the fire. It’s important that some air get to the fire to help it burn. It needs air – fire does breath!
b. In Leviticus we are told they had to clean out the ashes and the debris not consumed in the fire. They had to daily clean out the ashes so the fire could properly burn and breathe.
i. This meant a discipline of cleaning the fire out every morning.
ii. They were then instructed to take the ashes out of the camp and dispose of it properly.
iii. The fire which was started by the Holy Spirit in our hearts also needs to be cleaned out daily.
iv. If we do not regularly clean out the ashes left over from our sacrifice to God it will eventually choke out the Spirit’s fire.
1. Psalm 24:4-6: “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.5He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior.6Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
c. It’s important to know if you want to keep the fire burning in your heart then you need to keep it cleaned out. You do this by keeping the garbage of the world cleaned out of your life.
T.S. – The way you maintain the fire is by keeping it cleaned out then the next step is to step back and let it do its job.
4. The final step in Fire 101 is to sit back and let the fire do its job.
a. In camping once the fire is burning and tended properly you let it do its job. It takes time to cook and purify water but it will get done when the fire has had time to burn hot and consistent.
i. I also enjoy during times of camping just sitting back and watching the fire. Because it is soothing and refreshing to watch it burn.
b. In Leviticus the Priests and tenders of the fire had to watch the fire and be patient while it consumed the offerings throughout the day. It could not be rushed through.
i. Patience is a key in letting the fire do its work.
1. The same is true in our hearts we need to at times just sit back and let the fire do its job.
2. We need to let it burn inside of us and enjoy the time of watching it purify the heart and prepare the food for our lives.
3. We need to allow it time to purify our spiritual drinking water.
4. We need to sit around the fire and bath in its warmth on cold nights.
5. We need to let it guide us and keep us calm in the darkness of night.
a. Moses learned to watch the fire and he let God speak through the fire to lead him (Exodus 3).
ii. Hebrews 12:29: “God is a consuming fire”
1. Let it consume your heart and burn in your life and watch what happens.
iii. Jeremiah 23:29: “Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?
1. Jeremiah 20 – Jeremiah had the fire in him and he let it come out of him. He said he had to let it out!
iv. Deut. 4:24: For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
1. The fire of the Lord is doing what is required of it and we need to have patience and just watch the fire burn forward for the Lord.
Conclusion:
What do we need to know from this message?
We are responsible for keeping the fire burning on the altars of our heart for the Lord. No one else is! As the fire is burning we need to feed the fire, keep it clean then watch the fire burn. The fire will lead us to offer daily sacrifices for the Lord in a time of worship. It will require us to feed it proper fuel and keep it clean. We need to use this fire to keep us safe, secure, warm and to use it to cook our spiritual fuel. It is to be used to purify our hearts and lives.
Why do we need to do this?
We need to do this so that we stay strong for the Lord as a witness to the truth and the life. If we do this others will see us burning and want to be ignited too. The fire will spread to others as we do what is required to guard and tend to the fire on the altar of our hearts. It will spread!
What do we need to do?
I believe we need to make a commitment to the Lord that we will keep the fire burning on the altar of our hearts.
Challenge card commitment card:
Question: Are you willing to make a commitment to Jesus by filling in on your index card, “How you will personally keep the fire burning in your life?”
• I believe some of you need to pray and make a commitment to the Lord. Maybe it’s an area of your life that you promise to do or not do to keep your fire burning, then come and drop your card in the basket on the communion table and then partake of communion.
• You are doing this as a faith act which is between you and the Lord.
• It is like making a covenant and promise to God that you belong to Him and you want to be used by Him so you will remain burning for Him.
We will have prayer teams by each communion table to pray for you for any need you have or about your commitment to the Lord. So let's pray and let's make a pledge to Jesus on how we will keep the fire burning.
As the church exits:
Have ushers hand out lighters with inscription: “Keep the Fire Burning!” as a reminder of their commitment to the Lord Jesus.
